Articles by Holly Hanchey:
What’s in a 1-star review?
Since the dawn of civilization, people have loved to complain by leaving negative reviews. The oldest known form of writing—cuneiform—dates back to around 3200 BC, so naturally, the oldest known scathing review surfaced a few millennia later. In 1750 BC, a man named Nanni wrote a harsh complaint to a copper merchant named Ea-nasir, claiming… Read more
Lessons on improvisational hospitality and the NYC street hot dog from Will Guidara of Eleven Madison Park
In the right hands, at the right time, and with the right presentation, a New York City street hot dog can leave the same lasting impression as the celery root velouté with black truffle and chestnuts. Will Guidara has entertained A-list celebrities, CEOs, and world leaders while running his former restaurant group, Make it Nice,… Read more
Lessons on using the prospect of failure to succeed from Seth Godin
The saying “Winners never quit and quitters never win” from Vince Lombardi is famous for inspiring determination and persistence. But according to entrepreneur and best-selling author Seth Godin, Lombardi was wrong. Winners, Godin said, quit all the time—it’s just about being strategic when it comes to what and when you quit. “What it means to… Read more
Lessons for building a $10 million restaurant from Chef Sam Marvin of Bottega Louie
When Chef Sam Marvin talks, the hospitality industry listens. After all, he built a $10 million restaurant, Bottega Louie, in downtown Los Angeles during the recession in 2008. He’s a person who seizes an opportunity wherever, and whenever, he can. But Chef Marvin says that the hospitality business has evolved—and that it’s now all about perspective…. Read more
Preparing your small business for the holiday season
For many small (and some large) businesses, the holiday shopping season can be “make or break” time. According to a recent PayPal survey, one in five businesses say their future is heavily or wholly dependent upon a successful holiday shopping season, but only a third of those businesses had started to prepare properly as of… Read more
Lessons on revolutionary leadership from Kat Cole, COO of Focus Brands
As the North America Chief Operating Officer and President of a global restaurant franchise organization—think Auntie Anne’s, Jamba Juice, and Cinnabon—Kat Cole isn’t your typical guest on Full Comp. She’s not a chef nor does she run a restaurant on a daily basis. But then again, Kat Cole is anything but typical. She went from… Read more
Lessons from Jon Taffer of Bar Rescue on a bulletproof plan for success
People have been dining out for more than a thousand years—since the first restaurant as we know it opened in 1100 A.D. in China—and have operated in basically the same way ever since. You sit down at a table, a server takes your order, brings that order to the kitchen where it is prepared, and… Read more
How to become an eco-friendly business
The average American creates 4.5 pounds of waste each day—that’s more than 1,600 pounds each year and three times as much as the global average—from soiled paper products and uneaten food to thrown-away clothes and single-use plastic. Those items end up in landfills, our water systems, and sometimes back in our own bodies. Key takeaways… Read more
Lessons in becoming your own brand from chef Jet Tila
Celebrity chef Jet Tila learned the importance of diversification in business early in life, and that’s made the difference in his ability to make it out of the pandemic intact, rather than going under. Tila grew up in the family business, which encompassed some of the first Thai restaurants in California, the first Thai grocery… Read more
Lessons on fighting the good fight with celebrity chef Rick Bayless
One minute, you’re running a Michelin-starred restaurant; the next, you’re lobbying Congress and advocating for fair wages for restaurant workers. They seem like two totally different careers, but as the COVID-19 pandemic shows little signs of easing up, chefs and restaurateurs have had to take on new and sometimes intimidating jobs just to keep the… Read more